Ice Cave: Pandemic Survival Fiction Read online

  There's more coming up. Stay tuned.

  It cut to a commercial.

  “See, what did I tell you?” the man said.

  Cody turned the channel, hoping to collect more information. But nearly all the channels were playing commercials.

  “But they said there was a gunshot fired, and that's why they are asking everyone to stay in their rooms.”

  “Yeah right,” the man scoffed. “There was a gunshot fired, but it was fired by the police. Someone was trying to escape. They're clearing everyone out of here. They're probably forcing them into cells somewhere. Just take a look out the window.”

  Cody approached the window and looked at the dozens of police wagons that were hauling people away by the hundreds.

  “You don't pay much attention to your surroundings, do you?”

  “Where do you think they're taking them?”

  “I don't know. But it can't be any place good. How can we even trust them to not misdiagnose us? This pandemic is new as far as I'm concerned. How are they even prepared to handle it? They are likely locking people up in cells until they find out what's happening. If they lock you in a cell with someone that happens to be infected, how do you think that's going to turn out?”

  “How do you know the gunshot was fired by police?”

  “I was down there when it happened. It happened in the lobby. That's when they told me to return to my suite.”

  “So what are we going to do?”

  “I don't know about you, but I'm getting out of here. My girlfriend lives out in the country, about fifty-five miles from here. She says that it's not as bad out there. They're not forcing people to go away somewhere with the police.”

  “Probably because there's hardly any people out there.”

  “Exactly. Their main focus is where the bulk of the people are located. That's why they're being so much more strict in the city. As far as this hotel is concerned, they're going floor to floor right now, starting from the bottom and working their way up. I overheard that part of their plan. I just wish I could have heard more.”

  “How are they going to take all these people away, though? Aren't there more of us than them?”

  “They're calling in the military, so it's not just the police. When you combine the police force, military, and the infected, we are actually in the minority.”

  The television was still on, and the commercial break was over.

  Transit systems are closed for the time being, the news anchor said. Checkpoints are being enforced. Authorities say that anyone who tries to leave the state could face federal charges.

  “I have to get back home,” Cody said. “But with the trains not running, that's gonna be a twenty mile walk.”

  “With all the pandemonium that's going on, I don't think you'll make it. Even if you don't get attacked by those who are infected, you'll probably get stopped by the police, and then taken to a cell.”

  “How did you get here?”

  “I drove.”

  “I'm sure you know what I'm gonna ask you next.”

  The man cringed slightly. “Where do you live? South side? East side?”

  “Northwest side.”

  “Yeah, I'll give you a ride, as long as you can spare another water bottle.”

  * * * * *

  Before long, the swat team made it to the eleventh floor.

  Cody was still getting his suitcase together when Eric stormed through the door to warn him.

  “We're out of time.”

  “I'm all set,” Cody said, zipping up the suitcase.

  They cautiously walked to the end of the hall and peaked around the corner.

  A man who tried resisting was dragged out by three guards, all of them dressed in black riot gear and air filtration masks, while his wife stood in the doorway screaming.

  “Which way is the exit?” Eric asked.

  “The stairs are this way,” Cody said, pointing to the left.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, I studied the escape plan on the door last night.”

  “Now's our chance. The guards are busy subduing that guy.”

  They both sprinted down the hall and burst through the exit door, never looking back.

  Chapter 4

  They rapidly descended down seven flights of steps, before they stopped to take a quick break.

  “Do you think they saw us?” Eric asked.

  “Probably.”

  “If they did, that means they called for backup.”

  A door opened on the first floor of the stairwell. Soon after, a handful of guards rushed through and began storming up the stairs.

  “Yeah, I'd say they radioed it in,” Cody said, leaning over the banister and observing the visitors.

  “Which floor are we on?” Eric asked, turning his head toward the door, where the number 4 was painted. “Fourth floor. The first five floors have a built-in ladder out back for a fire escape.”

  They opened the door and stepped out into the frigid air.

  * * * * *

  A helicopter hovered above them for fifteen seconds or so before taking off.

  Plenty of people were below them, but not directly below. Even then, they were too distracted to pay any attention to Cody and Eric. For now, they were in the clear.

  Flight by flight, they hurriedly descended the fire escape, the metal staircase rattling with every step they took.

  Upon reaching the bottom, they dashed toward the parking garage, doing their best to stay undetected.

  * * * * *

  “I don't remember where I parked,” Eric said.

  “Are you serious?”

  “I remember which terminal it is, but I'm not sure where exactly.”

  They turned and looked toward the street in time to see a group of militarized police heading their way.

  “Think fast.”

  Eric started clicking his car alarm button, hoping to pinpoint the vehicle that way.

  “What kind of car is it?”

  “Burgundy sedan.”

  “I'm gonna try the next row.”

  The guards were getting closer, but with their black helmets and face shields intact, it was difficult to tell whether or not they were looking at Cody and Eric.

  When half of them split up to walk through Cody's row, while the other half took Eric's row, it became evident that they were indeed pursuing them.

  “Is this it?” Cody asked, shouting from the next row.

  “No.”

  “I'm gonna try the next row.”

  The guards followed Cody into the next row of cars, and he knew it. Frantically searching and coming up empty-handed, he ran out of options and got himself cornered by the guards.

  “You're going to have to come with us,” one of the guards said.

  Tires began screeching against the pavement, as a burgundy sedan sped around the corner.

  Cody ran toward the vehicle, while the guards ran after him in pursuit.

  The car came to a screeching halt as it approached Cody.

  “Hurry,” Eric advised.

  Cody sat down, while the car took off as he was still closing the passenger's side door.

  * * * * *

  Eric pulled out of the garage and made a swift right turn onto the street.

  “Randall is probably the best street to take,” Cody said, transferring his suitcase from his lap to the backseat of the car.

  Military vehicles were patrolling the streets, most of them bringing civilians with them for testing.

  Randall street was closed off.

  Eric turned kept driving, looking for another route that would take them northwest, but everything leading in that direction was closed off.

  After passing by the fifth street that was blocked off by military vehicles, Eric lost what was left of his patience. “I don't know if I'm going to be able to get you back to your house. We're not going to be able to get through any of these streets without them stopping us for interrogation.”

  “Ju
st let me out here then. I'll see if I can find a way.”

  “Nah, you'll never make it. I can't just leave you here. You can come with me and stay at my girlfriend's house until this whole thing gets cleared up. I'm sure these checkpoints won't be here that long. With enough time, you never know what could happen.”

  “How do you know the roads that lead to your girlfriend's house aren't blocked off, as well?”

  “I don't know that for sure, but at least there's a chance that we could find an open road.”

  Cody, seeing that he was out of options, reluctantly agreed.

  * * * * *

  It had been smooth sailing until they got to the part of town that bordered the outskirts from the rural area in which Eric's girlfriend lived.

  Three military vehicles sat in the middle of the road.

  When Eric reversed and turned around to find a different route, one of the vehicles went after him in pursuit.

  “Are they following us?” Eric asked nervously.

  “We'll find out. Turn left here.”

  Eric complied.

  The military vehicle turned left also.

  “Make another left.”

  Eric complied again, and the military vehicle continued to follow them.

  He accelerated, eventually getting up to seventy miles an hour in a desperate attempt to lose them.

  But now, there were two military vehicles pursuing them, and although they were about fifty yards behind them, they were catching up.

  He slowed down to make a sharp turn onto a road that offered spectacular views of the mountain landscape.

  “We're gonna make it,” Eric said aloud, more to himself than to Cody. “My girlfriend's house is on the other side of those mountains.”

  He made another sharp turn onto a bridge, before flooring the accelerator again.

  “Be careful,” Cody said. “These roads might still be icy.”

  “I'm trying.”

  The tires started making unusual noises as they began to skid.

  Eric turned into the skid and ended up driving off of the road.

  The car smashed through a pile of snow, before beginning its decent down an icy slope.

  Eric froze momentarily in disbelief, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

  Cody was staring straight ahead through the windshield, as the car continued to slide downhill.

  After raging through another menacing pile of snow, the glass on the windshield became blanketed with a heavy coat of white, disallowing them to see.

  There was a collision, and the next thing they felt was the car falling.

  “We're falling off a cliff!” Eric panicked.

  Cody's eyes widened, as he grabbed the door handle as tight as he could.

  In midair, the car shifted to the left, slamming into a rough surface. The driver's side windows were both punctured, sending an immense shower of shattered glass into the vehicle, Eric absorbing most of it.

  Eric tried to shield his face, but it was too late. “AHHH!”

  The car straightened back out and came to a stop after landing in a soft pile of snow.

  Eric dazedly lifted his head up from the steering wheel, his face covered in a pool of gore.

  Aside from some scratches and whiplash, Cody remained fairly uninjured, and he certainly couldn't complain about his condition after taking a look at Eric.

  “Come on, let's get you out of here,” Cody said.

  “I ain't going no place,” Eric said.

  “Come on, don't think like that.”

  “Listen. You can still make it. The address to my girlfriend's house is in my suitcase. Her name is Rachel.”

  Since his breathing was labored, he was trying to keep his sentences short.

  “I'm not. . . good at last words. . . but tell her that. . . I'm sorry. Sorry I couldn't. . .”

  Then he died.

  Chapter 5

  Cody tried opening the passenger's side door, but to no avail. The car was buried in the snow.

  He turned off the engine and used his suitcase to chip away at the lingering shards of glass that hung in the driver's side windows like icicles.

  After clawing away at the snow, he successfully dug his way out, bringing both suitcases with him.

  He looked up at a gap that went on for approximately thirty meters or so. It was a significant drop, but the fall he took in the car had felt like even more.

  They had not gone off a cliff as Eric thought. Instead, they had fallen into an icy ditch that appeared to be home to some sort of cavern-like structure.

  His surroundings were surreal.

  The icicles on the roof of the cave carried with them a light purplish shade. Further down was a large pond that did not look quite frozen, the water a perfect shade of blue.

  He set down the suitcases and opened them both up. After shifting through a pair of spare shirts, he managed to locate Eric's address book. He scrolled through the names until he reached Rachel. He tore the piece of paper off and put it in his pocket.

  Since there were no other valuables in Eric's suitcase, Cody zipped it back up and left it there. One suitcase was burdensome enough.

  The walls of the cave were covered in a thick layer of ice, which made him feel like he was inside a large glacier.

  Climbing up the way he came down there was not an option. Even if he left his suitcase behind, there was absolutely nothing to grab onto along the icy walls.

  He started walking toward the pond, hoping to find a way out. His neck was stiff, and he knew it would feel even worse the next day.

  On the other side of the pond was a large gap in the wall. With no other outlets, he would have to find a way to get across.

  The water seemed frozen in only in certain parts of the pond. The average ice block on the pond was about three three yards wide and one yard long, big enough for him to step onto. If he followed the pattern, he could use the ice blocks as steps to get across.

  He set his suitcase on one of the ice blocks to test its durability. He pressed down on it firmly, and fortunately for him, it held its ground.

  The next step was to hoist himself up onto the ice block, and that's exactly what he did.

  After steadying himself on the frigid ice block, he cautiously stood up and picked up his suitcase.

  He stepped onto the next block of ice, which was about half a yard in front of him. He took a wide step forward and planted his left shoe onto the frozen step. Once he established his balance, he swung the right side of his body forward to complete the step.

  The next step was nearly three yards away. He was going to have to jump. To pick up some extra momentum, he backed up as much as the ice block would allow, then charged forward and jumped off of the edge.

  He made it to the next ice block, but the impact of the landing caused it to crack. He started to stand up, but the ice had already broken apart, sending him into the freezing water.

  The water was not even waist high, but his mind went blank with an agonizing wave of pain. Shock value was high, and he felt as if all of his energy had suddenly left him.

  After a few long moments, He pulled himself together and moved forward as quick as he could, treading through the ice cold water.

  By the time he got across and pulled himself out of the water, his legs were too numb for him to walk. Barely able to stand, he sat down on a rock to rejuvenate. He would need it for what awaited him up ahead.

  Chapter 6

  While he was waiting for numbness to fade away from his legs, he consumed a can of chili he had brought along with him in his suitcase. He always brought his own food along with him when he stayed at hotels. Fortunately, he had brought an extra one along with him, but now it was gone.

  He took the last few sips from his water bottle, then closed his suitcase and stood up again.

  His food and water supply had now officially run out.

  The tunnel in front of him was fairly wide, and since there were many gaps in the cave's roof that allo
wed the sun to shine through, there was plenty of brightness gleaming through the area.

  Phone calls wouldn't get him very far. If he called for help, they would send a “rescue” crew out to bring him out of the cave. But immediately after that, they would likely take him away and place him in a quarantine cell.

  He pulled his phone out of his pocket, just to check the time. But the water from the pond had damaged it, rendering the appliance useless.

  At this time of year, the sun went down early, and if he couldn't get out of the cave by four-thirty, he would have the pitch black darkness to contend with.

  He tried to think of how much time he had before sunset. It was nine-thirty in the morning when he opened the door for the hotel staff member. That was the last time he could remember checking the time.

  Eric hadn't even showed up at the door until three hours after that. Then they drove for miles and miles, which took at least an hour or so.

  It must have been mid afternoon by now, giving him only an hour or two before sundown.

  He not only walked faster, but he also looked more carefully for possible escape routes.

  But none of the icy walls were climbable, and the escape routes were nonexistent.

  * * * * *

  After nearly half an hour of walking through the tunnel, he entered an open space in the cave that had half a dozen narrow passageways.

  He took the passageway that was all the way to the left, figuring that the ones in the center would only lead deeper into the cave, while the ones on the side had a higher probability of bringing him out.

  If it led to a dead end, he could go back and try another one.

  * * * * *

  The passageway was filled with enough spiraling twists and turns to make him lose track of where he was.

  Since everything was starting to look the same, he took some small rocks and stacked them up on top of each other to let him know that he had been through that specific area already, just in case he wound up going in circles without realizing it.